He Knows when you're not sleeping
by KaytStarr
Summary: A short story about General Egremont, because we don't know that much about him  and there isn't even a character tag for him .


General Egremont looked around before he pressed on the hidden button, it was midnight and he was alone, but in the People's Palace you could never be too sure. A panel opened, he picked up the lamp and entered the hidden passage. He had stumbled upon it many years ago, quite by accident and he doubted anyone, including Lord Rahl, knew of it's existence.

The passage led to the Mord'Sith chambers, it was forbidden for anyone to enter those chambers without the authority of Lord Rahl, or a senior Mord'Sith. To do so was an offence punishable by death. There were no exceptions to this rule.

At the other end of the passage, Egremont looked through the small grill to check that the store room was empty before entering. He exited the store room and quietly walked along the empty corridors, few men had ever passed this way. This was the exclusive domain of the Mord'Sith where young girls were taken from their families and trained to become Mord'Sith, the most feared warriors in D'Hara. The training was long and hard and many did not make it, the ones that failed were killed, except for one. Many years ago he had persuaded Lord Rahl to allow him to save one young woman, her name was Ellen, Lord Rahl had agreed and from then on a grateful Egremont felt forever in his debt.

After walking for a while through a maze of corridors he finally reached his destination, he opened the door to a large dormitory, a sparsely furnished room where thirty young girls aged between ten and thirteen slept. If the girls survived the first few months of capture they then went onto the first stage of training where they were starved, beaten and treated like dogsbodies to serve at the beck and call of the senior women. The long days would consist of hard work, verbal abuse and beatings and at night in the few short hours they were allowed sleep, they slept on hard beds wearing nothing but a thin nightgown covered in a thin blanket, this was when they were at their most vulnerable.

Egremont walked passed the beds where the girls slept, he knew all of them, but tonight he was looking for one girl in particular. He found her in bed at the far end of the room, her name was Melissa and she had been crying. Egremont sat on the edge of her bed and gently stroked her face, she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Egremont, I don't want to do this."

"You have no choice in the matter."

"But I don't think I can endure it any more."

"You will endure it, just as your sisters before have done so and as your sisters to come will do so in the future."

Melissa, reached out and held Egremont's hand. "Sing to me, please."

He held the girls hand and began to sing, it was an old folk song about a warrior princess who endured may sorrows and challenges before she reached her goals. As Egremont's rich baritone voice echoed round the room, the girls did not stir, but he knew they were all awake and listening. When he finished he kissed Melissa gently on the forehead and left the dormitory.

Quietly closing the door he turned to find Mistress Triana in front of him.

"You shouldn't mollycoddle them."

"It never did you any harm Mistress Triana, how is The Rudkin?"

Triana looked angry and blushed, as a child her fears had expressed themselves in terrifying nightmares when she would dream about a monster she had named 'The Rudkin'.

"If you are caught here, it will be certain death." she said changing the subject.

"Then I had better not get caught." Egremont smiled kindly at her, Triana tried to hold his gaze, but eventually looked away and stood aside so he could pass, she owed a debt to him that she could never repay.

Retracing his steps and taking care not to be observed, he returned to his bedchamber. Once inside he started to get undressed, his wife who was already in bed stirred.

"Where have you been, did Lord Rahl keep you late?" It was not a voice of accusation, but one of concern.

"I went to check on the girls."

"How is Melissa?"

"She is still crying herself to sleep at night."

"Poor child, do you think she will survive?"

"I do hope so."

As Egremont climbed into bed, his wife sat up and placed her hand on his chest. "You have a good heart my husband," She kissed him and lay back down again. "Goodnight my love."

Egremont pulled the covers over him and snuggled up to his warm soft wife.

"Goodnight Ellen."


End file.
